Heidi Marcum Electronics.

Professional Arranger

I wish more songwriters would do the melody-first method. Coming up with the melody after endless strumming of chords can often result in a tune that is directionless and uninspiring. What probably scares writers off of writing a melody first is... how do you harmonize it?

Getting a bit of understanding with regard to chord theory is always a great idea. If you can't read music, you may have to resort to a kind of random process of applying chords to melody. But good songwriting is not usually a random process. And while through the random process you may eventually come up with chords that sort of work, it's better to understand why certain chords harmonize certain notes, and how chords should ideally progress. Here are some tips for adding chords to your melody:

1. Every song needs a basic harmonic rhythm. It's the frequency of the chord changes. For many songs, chords will change every four to eight beats. Determine what it will be for your own song. This usually means identifying the time signature for your song. If your song exhibits a continuous STRONG-weak-STRONG-weak pattern, you're probably in 4/4 time.

2. Identify the key of your melody. Often the first and (especially) last notes of your melody will be the key note (tonic) of your song. Once you know the key, you'll be able to identify the three chords that you'll uyse the most: I, IV and V of that key (for example, in A major, you'll find that A, D and E will be the chords that work best.

3. Chords will usually change on strong beats. This means that beats one and three of every bar of your song will be good spots for you to change chords.

4. Identify the melody note on the strong beat. Usually the note or two after it will also offer a good clue as to what the chord should be. Let's say your melody has the notes A and C# at the beginning. These are two notes from the A chord, and it's a safe bet to use that chord. But you'll also find that the notes A and C# also exist in F#m, so consider that chord as well.

5. In general, your chord progressions will start on the tonic chord, then go to the IV-chord, moving on to the V-chord, then return to the I-chord. There are other chords you can use, of course, but that I - IV - V pattern will be a workhorse that will work well for you.

6. The faster your song, the less frequent your chord changes should be. Changing chords frequently in a fast song makes the song sound frantic, and so unless you're looking for that effect, make chord changes less frequent in faster tempos.

If you don't know what those Roman numerals mean, or if you want to learn the more complete story behind why some chords work better than other ones in your song, my e-books "How to Harmonize a Melody", "Essential Chord Progressions", "More Essential Chord Progressions" and "The Essential Secrets of Songwriting- Chord Progression Formulas" will explain it all to you in great detail, and will provide you with pages and pages of chord progressions you can use right now in your songs. Read about those e-books.

Gary Ewer is a composer/arranger and clinician. He offers songwriting advice on his website, "The Essential Secrets of Songwriting," and is the author of a set of songwriting e-books. He is also the author of "Gary Ewer's Easy Music Theory", a 24-lesson course on basic music rudiments. He is a full-time senior instructor in the Dalhousie University Department of Music.

Korg Pa800 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard $2638.09 Korg Pa800 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard

Korg Pa800 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 886830084201 $2464.15 Korg Pa800 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 886830084201

Korg Pa800 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 886830122187 $2464.15 Korg Pa800 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 886830122187

Korg Pa2XPro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard $3366.09 Korg Pa2XPro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard

Korg Pa2XPro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 889406575264 $3144.15 Korg Pa2XPro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 889406575264

Korg Pa2xpro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard $3366.09 Korg Pa2XPro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard

Korg Pa1x 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard $3499 Korg Pa1X 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard

Korg Pa500 61 Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 889406769649 $934.15 Korg Pa500 61 Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 889406769649

Korg Pa500 61 Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 889406772977 $934.15 Korg Pa500 61 Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 889406772977

Korg Pa500 61 Key Professional Arranger Keyboard $1099 The interactive KORG Pa500 arranger keyboard is a perfect musical partner for musicians, composers, performers and entertainers. Like its big brothers the Pa800 and the Pa2XPro, the Pa500 usesKorg's RX (Real eXperience) technology to deliver unprecedented arranger keyboard sound. With exclusive Korg features such as the XDS Dual Sequencer, intuitive TouchView interface, quarter-tone on-the-fly and a 4-way joystick for realistic articulation, the only thing really missing is a big price tag.Stunning SoundBased on the EDS (Extended Definition Synthesis) engine found in the Korg M3, Pa800 and Pa2XPro, the Pa500 arranger provides 80 voices of polyphony and breathtaking sound quality. Over 880 fully editable sounds are preloaded (including a full GM soundset and 56 drumkits), representing a full range of musical instruments from almost every genre - each exploding with depth, nuance, subtlety, accuracy and richness. The User area has space for up to 128 user sounds and 64 drum kits.Effects EverywhereFor many years, Korg workstations, synthesizers and digital recording studios have included outstanding studio quality effects that are simply breathtaking. In that same tradition, the Pa500 keyboard offers 4 stereo processors plus a final semi-parametric three band EQ containing a treasure trove of effects, from rich reverbs and dazzling delays to guitar-type modeling effects from Korg's renowned REMS series 124 different effects in all. And you'll appreciate the separate 3-band EQ on each track so you can shape the tone for that perfect sound. Done with StyleNo doubt: Korg's Style programming is world class. The Pa500 keyboard arranger delivers a deluxe set of styles, programmed by some of the leading arrangers in the world; each of whom worked according to their musical strengths. The result is over 320 preloaded styles that provide unparalleled realism and detail, adding anything from tasteful guitar picking, a tight bass and drum groove, a powerhouse R & B rhythm section all the way up to a full orchestra! Styles follow your timing, voice leading and chord changes to create an amazingly defined musical performance in real-time. With up to 8 parts, 4 variations, 3 intros/count-in, 3 fills/break and 3 endings, each style is a complete musical environment. Additional parts or "riffs" can be sequenced and triggered in real time using the Assignable Pads. Advanced features such as Syncro Start/Stop, Fade In/Out, Assignable Pads, Tap Tempo and Manual Bass allow you to spontaneously add complex and professional touches to your performances.Guitar modeCreating convincing guitar parts from a keyboard has never been easyuntil now! When creating a guitar part for your style, you can chose a chord, capo position, and literally transform the keyboard into the fretted strings of the chord to allow realistic picking patterns, strums, chokes, slides, hammer-ons and other "guitar-specific" artifacts. The result is stunning. Best of all, the Pa500 arranger keyboard ca

Korg 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard $3699 For the musician, composer, performer and entertainer, the interactive PA2XPro is the perfect musical partner, quickly transforming musical ideas into complete, polished productions. Guided by Korg's Real eXperience (RX) technology, the Pa2XPro combines the unbeatable EDS (Enhanced Definition Synthesis) sound, Drawbar Organ modeling,state-of-the-art effects, advanced MP3 features, comprehensive sample edit tools, fully realized musical Styles and a sequencer loaded with compositional aids. Brimming with power, the Pa2XPro employs a slew of assignable controllers and a new motorized, full color TouchView interface, providing an intuitive and musical interface that will encourage your creativity - not stifle it.

Professional Arranger Composer: Book 1 $16.53 No Synopsis Available

Korg Pa800 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 886830084201 $2464.15 The Korg Pa800 is the successor to their Pa80, the most successful professional arranger ever produced.RX TechnologyFirst used on the Pa1X, the most powerful Arranger around, RX Technology is the guiding philosophy behind the Pa800. RXReal eXperience - guided all Korg's design and sound decisions. When the Pa800 performs, the audience will listen.The Pa800 includes as standard the acclaimed TC Helicon Voice Processor. This features EQ and professional quality effects (reverb, echo, etc.), designed and shaped specifically for vocals. These effects, combined with the built-in 3-voice harmony and dedicated high-quality mic preamp, ensure your vocals have the highest possible sound quality.The most important controls to keep your voice under control are available in the panel and in the display's main page. Simply connect your microphone and start performing!Taming Technology for Intuitive Ease of UseWith all the technological power packed inside, it was vital that Korg also made the Pa800 easy to understand and easy to use. But even more, they wanted the whole way you use the Pa800 to be an intuitive, musical, fast, foolproof experience. The graphical user interface uses an amazing Graphical Color Touch Screen so you simply think, point, and click for easy and intuitive useRX Technology at work for you!Allowing musicians of all levels to make great music quickly, there are two interface modes: easy and expert. The easy mode shows only the most important controls while keeping a clean and easy interface, useful for beginners or playing live, while in expert mode you have full editing control. Nothing stands between you and your professional performance.Switches and sliders are assignable so your live performances work the way you want.And when you need more information? Check out the multilingual contextual Help System that is standard onboard!Unparalleled Quality of SoundOf course, having power and ease of use mean nothing without great sound and the stunning high-quality sound performance of the Pa800will impress any audience. The Pa800 delivers sound that makes it seem like you have the coolest band available on stageall working under your control.Korg sound quality is relied on by musicians everywhere. For the Pa800, they redesigned what was already the most powerful synth sound engine available to give you an even richer, more detailed, sophisticated, and natural sound than ever before with musical instruments from almost every genre exploding with depth, nuance, subtlety, accuracy, and richness. They even used several sounds from OASYS helping the Pa800 set a new standard for arranger keyboards.The sound memory of the Pa800 has been largely increased to achieve the best sound quality possible boasting all new multilevel samples of the instruments you know and love. Many of these also include also various levels of articulation so the polyphony has also been expanded to 120 notes to cover even busy passages.There are more than 950 ROM sounds, in

Korg Pa800 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 886830122187 $2464.15 The Korg Pa800 is the successor to their Pa80, the most successful professional arranger ever produced.RX TechnologyFirst used on the Pa1X, the most powerful Arranger around, RX Technology is the guiding philosophy behind the Pa800. RXReal eXperience - guided all Korg's design and sound decisions. When the Pa800 performs, the audience will listen.The Pa800 includes as standard the acclaimed TC Helicon Voice Processor. This features EQ and professional quality effects (reverb, echo, etc.), designed and shaped specifically for vocals. These effects, combined with the built-in 3-voice harmony and dedicated high-quality mic preamp, ensure your vocals have the highest possible sound quality.The most important controls to keep your voice under control are available in the panel and in the display's main page. Simply connect your microphone and start performing!Taming Technology for Intuitive Ease of UseWith all the technological power packed inside, it was vital that Korg also made the Pa800 easy to understand and easy to use. But even more, they wanted the whole way you use the Pa800 to be an intuitive, musical, fast, foolproof experience. The graphical user interface uses an amazing Graphical Color Touch Screen so you simply think, point, and click for easy and intuitive useRX Technology at work for you!Allowing musicians of all levels to make great music quickly, there are two interface modes: easy and expert. The easy mode shows only the most important controls while keeping a clean and easy interface, useful for beginners or playing live, while in expert mode you have full editing control. Nothing stands between you and your professional performance.Switches and sliders are assignable so your live performances work the way you want.And when you need more information? Check out the multilingual contextual Help System that is standard onboard!Unparalleled Quality of SoundOf course, having power and ease of use mean nothing without great sound and the stunning high-quality sound performance of the Pa800will impress any audience. The Pa800 delivers sound that makes it seem like you have the coolest band available on stageall working under your control.Korg sound quality is relied on by musicians everywhere. For the Pa800, they redesigned what was already the most powerful synth sound engine available to give you an even richer, more detailed, sophisticated, and natural sound than ever before with musical instruments from almost every genre exploding with depth, nuance, subtlety, accuracy, and richness. They even used several sounds from OASYS helping the Pa800 set a new standard for arranger keyboards.The sound memory of the Pa800 has been largely increased to achieve the best sound quality possible boasting all new multilevel samples of the instruments you know and love. Many of these also include also various levels of articulation so the polyphony has also been expanded to 120 notes to cover even busy passages.There are more than 950 ROM sounds, in

Korg Pa2XPro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 889406755666 $3144.15 The interactive Korg PA2XPro arranger keyboard is the perfect musical partner for musicians, composers, performers, and entertainers. The Pa2XPro quickly transforms musical ideas into complete, polished productions. Guided by Korg's Real eXperience (RX) technology, the PA2XPro is a 76-key arranger that combines unbeatable sound, state-of-the-art effects, advanced MP3 features, comprehensive sample edit tools, fully realized musical styles and a sequencer loaded with compositional aids. Brimming with power, the Pa2XPro employs a slew of assignable controllers and a new motorized, full color TouchView interface, providing an intuitive and musical interface that will encourage your creativity--not stifle it.Easy to useWith all the technological power packed inside, it was vital that Korg also made the Pa2X Pro easy to understand--and easy to use. But even more, Korg wanted the whole way you use the Pa2X Pro to be an intuitive, musical, fast, foolproof experience. The Pa2Xpro arranger's graphical user interface has an amazing Graphical Colour Touch Screen, so you simply think, point and click for easy and intuitive use--RX Technology at work for you! The screen of the Korg Pa2X Pro is a motorized tilting display with the capability to select the right viewing angle, and one of the 7 different background colors in the Graphical User Interface. You can be sure the display can be read in all lighting and performing conditions, a truly professional feature. A manual "clutch" allows you to adjust the motorized display, even with the power off.Musicians of all levels can make great music quickly, with the 2 interface modes: EASY and EXPERT. The EASY mode shows only the most important controls while keeping a clean and easy interface, useful for beginners or for live performances. In EXPERT mode you have full editing control. Nothing stands between you and your professional performance.The 2 Switches and 8 Sliders (the 9th acts always as an MP3 Volume control, except for Digital Drawbars) are fully assignable so your live performances work the way you want them to. Use the Sliders as Organ Drawbars, controlling the 9 footages of a tone wheel organ; or as volume controls for each part of a backing style or fir mic settings.When you need more information, check out the multilingual contextual Help System that is standard on the Korg Pa2X Pro! Touch control on sliders, knobs, drawbars and numeric fieldsDon't simply watch--touch them! Sliders, knobs and drawbar positions will be changed directly by moving them on the touch screen. The same will happen with numeric fields: touch them, and then push forward to increase the value, pull back to decrease. Oh, and this is also valid for changing Tempo, for the smoothest accelerando and ritardando ever conceived!Pro 76 keybed actionThe 76-key keybed, designed for the demanding professional as well for expert pianists, has aftertouch and is velocity sensitive. The feel is great, and with a natural piano shape keys and

Korg Pa2XPro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 889406575264 $3144.15 The interactive Korg PA2XPro arranger keyboard is the perfect musical partner for musicians, composers, performers, and entertainers. The Pa2XPro quickly transforms musical ideas into complete, polished productions. Guided by Korg's Real eXperience (RX) technology, the PA2XPro is a 76-key arranger that combines unbeatable sound, state-of-the-art effects, advanced MP3 features, comprehensive sample edit tools, fully realized musical styles and a sequencer loaded with compositional aids. Brimming with power, the Pa2XPro employs a slew of assignable controllers and a new motorized, full color TouchView interface, providing an intuitive and musical interface that will encourage your creativity--not stifle it.Easy to useWith all the technological power packed inside, it was vital that Korg also made the Pa2X Pro easy to understand--and easy to use. But even more, Korg wanted the whole way you use the Pa2X Pro to be an intuitive, musical, fast, foolproof experience. The Pa2Xpro arranger's graphical user interface has an amazing Graphical Colour Touch Screen, so you simply think, point and click for easy and intuitive use--RX Technology at work for you! The screen of the Korg Pa2X Pro is a motorized tilting display with the capability to select the right viewing angle, and one of the 7 different background colors in the Graphical User Interface. You can be sure the display can be read in all lighting and performing conditions, a truly professional feature. A manual "clutch" allows you to adjust the motorized display, even with the power off.Musicians of all levels can make great music quickly, with the 2 interface modes: EASY and EXPERT. The EASY mode shows only the most important controls while keeping a clean and easy interface, useful for beginners or for live performances. In EXPERT mode you have full editing control. Nothing stands between you and your professional performance.The 2 Switches and 8 Sliders (the 9th acts always as an MP3 Volume control, except for Digital Drawbars) are fully assignable so your live performances work the way you want them to. Use the Sliders as Organ Drawbars, controlling the 9 footages of a tone wheel organ; or as volume controls for each part of a backing style or fir mic settings.When you need more information, check out the multilingual contextual Help System that is standard on the Korg Pa2X Pro! Touch control on sliders, knobs, drawbars and numeric fieldsDon't simply watch--touch them! Sliders, knobs and drawbar positions will be changed directly by moving them on the touch screen. The same will happen with numeric fields: touch them, and then push forward to increase the value, pull back to decrease. Oh, and this is also valid for changing Tempo, for the smoothest accelerando and ritardando ever conceived!Pro 76 keybed actionThe 76-key keybed, designed for the demanding professional as well for expert pianists, has aftertouch and is velocity sensitive. The feel is great, and with a natural piano shape keys and

Korg Pa2XPro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard 889406720121 $3144.15 The interactive Korg PA2XPro arranger keyboard is the perfect musical partner for musicians, composers, performers, and entertainers. The Pa2XPro quickly transforms musical ideas into complete, polished productions. Guided by Korg's Real eXperience (RX) technology, the PA2XPro is a 76-key arranger that combines unbeatable sound, state-of-the-art effects, advanced MP3 features, comprehensive sample edit tools, fully realized musical styles and a sequencer loaded with compositional aids. Brimming with power, the Pa2XPro employs a slew of assignable controllers and a new motorized, full color TouchView interface, providing an intuitive and musical interface that will encourage your creativity--not stifle it.Easy to useWith all the technological power packed inside, it was vital that Korg also made the Pa2X Pro easy to understand--and easy to use. But even more, Korg wanted the whole way you use the Pa2X Pro to be an intuitive, musical, fast, foolproof experience. The Pa2Xpro arranger's graphical user interface has an amazing Graphical Colour Touch Screen, so you simply think, point and click for easy and intuitive use--RX Technology at work for you! The screen of the Korg Pa2X Pro is a motorized tilting display with the capability to select the right viewing angle, and one of the 7 different background colors in the Graphical User Interface. You can be sure the display can be read in all lighting and performing conditions, a truly professional feature. A manual "clutch" allows you to adjust the motorized display, even with the power off.Musicians of all levels can make great music quickly, with the 2 interface modes: EASY and EXPERT. The EASY mode shows only the most important controls while keeping a clean and easy interface, useful for beginners or for live performances. In EXPERT mode you have full editing control. Nothing stands between you and your professional performance.The 2 Switches and 8 Sliders (the 9th acts always as an MP3 Volume control, except for Digital Drawbars) are fully assignable so your live performances work the way you want them to. Use the Sliders as Organ Drawbars, controlling the 9 footages of a tone wheel organ; or as volume controls for each part of a backing style or fir mic settings.When you need more information, check out the multilingual contextual Help System that is standard on the Korg Pa2X Pro! Touch control on sliders, knobs, drawbars and numeric fieldsDon't simply watch--touch them! Sliders, knobs and drawbar positions will be changed directly by moving them on the touch screen. The same will happen with numeric fields: touch them, and then push forward to increase the value, pull back to decrease. Oh, and this is also valid for changing Tempo, for the smoothest accelerando and ritardando ever conceived!Pro 76 keybed actionThe 76-key keybed, designed for the demanding professional as well for expert pianists, has aftertouch and is velocity sensitive. The feel is great, and with a natural piano shape keys and

Used Korg Pa2xpro 76-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard $3366.09 The interactive Korg PA2XPro arranger keyboard is the perfect musical partner for musicians, composers, performers, and entertainers. The Pa2XPro quickly transforms musical ideas into complete, polished productions. Guided by Korg's Real eXperience (RX) technology, the PA2XPro is a 76-key arranger that combines unbeatable sound, state-of-the-art effects, advanced MP3 features, comprehensive sample edit tools, fully realized musical styles and a sequencer loaded with compositional aids. Brimming with power, the Pa2XPro employs a slew of assignable controllers and a new motorized, full color TouchView interface, providing an intuitive and musical interface that will encourage your creativity--not stifle it.Easy to useWith all the technological power packed inside, it was vital that Korg also made the Pa2X Pro easy to understand--and easy to use. But even more, Korg wanted the whole way you use the Pa2X Pro to be an intuitive, musical, fast, foolproof experience. The Pa2Xpro arranger's graphical user interface has an amazing Graphical Colour Touch Screen, so you simply think, point and click for easy and intuitive use--RX Technology at work for you! The screen of the Korg Pa2X Pro is a motorized tilting display with the capability to select the right viewing angle, and one of the 7 different background colors in the Graphical User Interface. You can be sure the display can be read in all lighting and performing conditions, a truly professional feature. A manual "clutch" allows you to adjust the motorized display, even with the power off.Musicians of all levels can make great music quickly, with the 2 interface modes: EASY and EXPERT. The EASY mode shows only the most important controls while keeping a clean and easy interface, useful for beginners or for live performances. In EXPERT mode you have full editing control. Nothing stands between you and your professional performance.The 2 Switches and 8 Sliders (the 9th acts always as an MP3 Volume control, except for Digital Drawbars) are fully assignable so your live performances work the way you want them to. Use the Sliders as Organ Drawbars, controlling the 9 footages of a tone wheel organ; or as volume controls for each part of a backing style or fir mic settings.When you need more information, check out the multilingual contextual Help System that is standard on the Korg Pa2X Pro! Touch control on sliders, knobs, drawbars and numeric fieldsDon't simply watch--touch them! Sliders, knobs and drawbar positions will be changed directly by moving them on the touch screen. The same will happen with numeric fields: touch them, and then push forward to increase the value, pull back to decrease. Oh, and this is also valid for changing Tempo, for the smoothest accelerando and ritardando ever conceived!Pro 76 keybed actionThe 76-key keybed, designed for the demanding professional as well for expert pianists, has aftertouch and is velocity sensitive. The feel is great, and with a natural piano shape keys and

Refurbished Korg Pa800 61-Key Professional Arranger Keyboard $2699 The Korg Pa800 is the successor to their Pa80, the most successful professional arranger ever produced.RX TechnologyFirst used on the Pa1X, the most powerful Arranger around, RX Technology is the guiding philosophy behind the Pa800. RXReal eXperience - guided all Korg's design and sound decisions. When the Pa800 performs, the audience will listen.The Pa800 includes as standard the acclaimed TC Helicon Voice Processor. This features EQ and professional quality effects (reverb, echo, etc.), designed and shaped specifically for vocals. These effects, combined with the built-in 3-voice harmony and dedicated high-quality mic preamp, ensure your vocals have the highest possible sound quality.The most important controls to keep your voice under control are available in the panel and in the display's main page. Simply connect your microphone and start performing!Taming Technology for Intuitive Ease of UseWith all the technological power packed inside, it was vital that Korg also made the Pa800 easy to understand and easy to use. But even more, they wanted the whole way you use the Pa800 to be an intuitive, musical, fast, foolproof experience. The graphical user interface uses an amazing Graphical Color Touch Screen so you simply think, point, and click for easy and intuitive useRX Technology at work for you!Allowing musicians of all levels to make great music quickly, there are two interface modes: easy and expert. The easy mode shows only the most important controls while keeping a clean and easy interface, useful for beginners or playing live, while in expert mode you have full editing control. Nothing stands between you and your professional performance.Switches and sliders are assignable so your live performances work the way you want.And when you need more information? Check out the multilingual contextual Help System that is standard onboard!Unparalleled Quality of SoundOf course, having power and ease of use mean nothing without great sound and the stunning high-quality sound performance of the Pa800will impress any audience. The Pa800 delivers sound that makes it seem like you have the coolest band available on stageall working under your control.Korg sound quality is relied on by musicians everywhere. For the Pa800, they redesigned what was already the most powerful synth sound engine available to give you an even richer, more detailed, sophisticated, and natural sound than ever before with musical instruments from almost every genre exploding with depth, nuance, subtlety, accuracy, and richness. They even used several sounds from OASYS helping the Pa800 set a new standard for arranger keyboards.The sound memory of the Pa800 has been largely increased to achieve the best sound quality possible boasting all new multilevel samples of the instruments you know and love. Many of these also include also various levels of articulation so the polyphony has also been expanded to 120 notes to cover even busy passages.There are more than 950 ROM sounds, in